I bought this for use with a speed light as a field light stand. I have found that it will support a DSLR with telephoto. It will be quite useful for macro and birds.

I must say that I had underestimated the importance of a good tripod. Steve Perry's videos and e-books convinced me to improve my tripod, and after research, including speaking to a B&H expert, I purchased the Gitzo Series 3 Systematic (Long) tripod. It has changed my photography life! The tripod arrived quickly from B&H 3-days ago, I unpacked immediately and have used it for the last 3 days photographing birds. My current setup includes a Nikon D850, Nikon 200-400 f4 lens and a Benro gimbal head. The Gitzo is super easy to use and my setup now is totally rock solid, making it a joy to photograph!

This is a high quality product, it's obvious the moment you pick it up. The machine work is impeccable. It does what it is supposed to do, and gives confidence when using it. Ive only used it a couple of times so far, but it's great. As far a B&H, it was easy to order, and it arrived earlier than expected. Perfect!

I keep going back to Gitzo over the years, it's a brand that is pricey, but always reliable. So far so good on this tripod. I don't suspect to have any issues.

I have a number of tripods. Okay, too many. Collected and used over the years. As my camera and lens collection grew and became a much larger professional investment, my tripod needed to match my investment in camera bodies and lenses. You can't put a $7,000 pro camera and a $3,000 telephoto lens on an unstable tripod. Not without eventual disaster.

Before this I was using the Peak Design Travel Tripod, which is very good for what it is. On a scale of stability, however, the Peak is (maybe) a 4 and this Gitzo is a 10+. This is amazingly light piece of gear for a full size, professional tripod. And it packs fairly small. It will travel well. The leg locks are outstanding.

I coupled this with the Really Right Stuff BH-55. Outstanding combination. My only "complaint" is that a tripod at this pro price point should come with a padded, zippered case - and not just a cheap draw string ripstop Nylon bag.

This has been a great tripod, yes it is on the heavy side but knowing this prior to the purchase was not a surprise. For the me, the other benefits were worth it over the total weight of the tripod. The ground level option is great, the option to buy a rapid center column was fine and I was able to put the head on that I wanted, not just accept what came with it. Its very sturdy, supports my camera and lens with no issues

Solid base, light weight.

As an amateur who loves wildlife and birds, I have spent hundreds of dollars on five tripods over the past 20 years. I finally decided to kick in the big bucks and get the Wimberley and Gitzo tripod. �On the first time out with a 300mm f/2.8 lens and Nikon 850 body, I was able to easily balance the combo and quickly and comfortably track hummingbirds! �For me, this was far easier to use than any of the previously tried tripods with conventional or ball heads, and I was able to get a far larger percentage of frames with focused birds. �Sorry I didn't get the combo years ago!

This is my first systematic Gitzo and so far I love it. It's sturdy, lightweight for the capacity and has the quality build you would expect from Gitzo. I like not having to invert a center column to get low shots and it is still plenty tall enough for me (6' talk) to shoot at eye level. I added the RRS leveling base because it is less expensive and does not protrude from the bottom like the Gitzo leveling base does.

Have only had this tripod for 2 weeks,  so far so good, one surprise to watch out for.   First the quality fit and finish of tripod does not disappoint.  Very sturdy, very firm, love ability to go from standing without crouching when taking pictures down to 3 inches off ground (Im 5 10 and with Nikon 810 on ball head I actually need to lower tripod a few inches from full extension).  
One issue with one Arca-Swiss Ball Head and this tripod: My newer Arca-Swiss Monoball p0 no problem however my older Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 has the pan lever at its base.  When ball head is secured to tripod the lever hits the base when you try to loosen head for panning.  So, be careful if your ball head has a lever at its base.  Due width of tripod base you could have a problem.
Yes, I love this tripod and yes I can recommend it.  Good quality for the price.  A little heavy, but if you want strong and flexible this is a great choice!